The Expulsion of the Necromaner
by Storyguy567
Summary: As Bilbo, Thorin, & company near Erebor and the Lonely Mountain, Gandalf takes it upon himself to lead the White Council to attack the mysterious evil festering within Dol Guldur, the mysterious Necromancer. Within the ruins of the old fortress, they will learn the true identity of their foe, and the threat he poses to all of Middle-Earth. Based on the books, not the movies. Review
1. Prologue: Rivendell

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**The Hobbit**_**. It was written J.R.R. Tolkein and now belongs to his family and the Tolkein Estate.**

**P.S. This is NOT based on the movie. This is my own take on a known event in the Tolkein Legendarium, but an event with very little knowledge (we know how it happened, we just don't know how).**

* * *

_**The Expulsion of the Necromancer**_

**Prologue: Rivendell**

The lord of Rivendell, Elrond, Half-Elven finally pulled his glowing hand away from the unconscious young hobbit, Frodo Baggins. After hours and hours, it seemed that the eleven lord had finally accomplished his task. He had extracted the shard of the Morgul blade from the hobbit.

The wizard Gandalf watched this all from the corner of the room. He let Elrond work in silence as he performed his healing magic. He finally walked up to Elrond's side.

"It is done." The Elf lord said as he set the shard of cursed metal down on the table.

"Good." The gray robed wizard nodded. "Let's be free of this accursed object forever."

Elrond nodded and both men raised their hands at the Morgul piece. Their hands began to glow white with powerful purifying magic. The fragment jumped and twitched under the powerful light. Finally, it shriveled and melted away into nothing. Once the relic of dark magic vanished, both being lowered their hands.

"Frodo may be free of the Morgul blade," Gandalf said looking at the sleeping hobbit, "but the wound will never fully heal."

"It is the price of such darkness." The lord of Imladris said as he rose from his seat. "But this is not a place to discuss such matters. Come." He gestured the Istari out of the room. The wizard grabbed his staff and followed the elf lord out.

"Is Mister Frodo all right?" A voice called out behind them. Gandalf turned around the answer the question.

"He's just fine now Samwise." He told Samwise Gamgee. "Allow him some rest before you go in there."

The hobbit nodded and took his seat by the doorway.

* * *

"So Saruman has now betrayed us?" Elrond asked. Gandalf had just recounted the tale of his visit to Isengard, and Saruman's betrayal. He told how Saruman imprisoned him on top of the tower of Orthanc, where he remained until he was rescued by the eagle lord Gwaihir, who brought him to Rivendell.

"No. Seeds of betrayal have been festering in Saruman's heart for quite some time." Gandalf explained his theory. "I think he has long held his own secret agenda." He said. "He seeks the ring only for himself. My guess is that he aligned himself with Sauron only to further his search for the, but he has been searching for much longer."

"How long do you think he's been seeking the ring?"

"Probably before Dol Guldur." Gandalf predicted. "I can only think that that is why he was so hasty to deny any sort of attack, or at least that's why I think he did." The wizard sighed.

"He thought the ring would have found its way back to Mirkwood." Elrond began to piece his own theory together at Gandalf's words. "He must have agreed to attack Dol Guldur only when he realized the ring wasn't there."

"That is what I am thinking." Gandalf said. "We've been blind. We could have stopped this then and there in Dol Guldur. We could have ended the threat of Sauron before it ever resurfaced."

"Gandalf, you of all people know that it is not possible." Elrond sighed. "Sauron is a Maiar, just like you, and just like Saruman. We cannot ever truly kill him. We can only weaken him to the point that resurgence would become impossible."

"You are right." Olórin agreed.

"Before his defeat," Elrond gazed off in the distance as he dredged up these dark, painful memories, "Sauron bound his power to the ring. He made sure to seal his fate. All the more reason the ring must be destroyed." The elf looked back at his old friend. "I've called a council to discuss the matter further. We'll talk more there."

* * *

"Gandalf!" Bilbo Baggins smiled as he saw his old friend. The two exchanged a hug and sat down.

"It's good to see you again dear Bilbo." The wizard smiled. As they two friends sat, Gandalf reached into his robe. He pulled out two long wooden pipes. He handed one of them to the elderly hobbit. Soon the two were smoking and laughing and recounting tales from days gone by.

"I've always been curious Gandalf." Bilbo said as the reminisced. "Where did you go when we went to Mirkwood?" He asked about their journey with the dwarves to reclaim Erebor. "Why did we not see you until the Battle of the Five Armies?"

Gandalf's expression dropped from happy to serious. "My old friend, I was delayed." He said simply. "A darkness had begun to grow." He exhaled pipe smoke. "I was afraid that this darkness would seek allegiance from Smaug. That is why I vanished dear Bilbo." He explained. "I was making sure that this darkness never allied itself with Smaug."

"I do recall you saying something about a necromancer." Bilbo remembered. Gandalf nodded. He had never told Bilbo the full tale of his own journey during that time. He also did not know how much Bilbo had learned.

"Now we are not hindered by the urgency of a journey." Gandalf said. "Nor do we have to plan for a long-expected party. There is time now, dear Bilbo, to recount you the tale of my own adventure."

"I would very much like to hear it." Bilbo smiled.

Gandalf nodded and puffed on his pipe. "Well it began…"

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**What do you think? How about you tell me in a review? I do enjoy your input and feedback.**


	2. 1 The Terror of Mirkwood

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**The Hobbit**_**. It was written J.R.R. Tolkein and now belongs to his family and the Tolkein Estate.**

**In this chapter, I do not own the character Unglob. She was created for the video game **_**Guardians of Middle-Earth**_**.**

_**Italic text**_** denotes a character speaking in another language. I do this because I do not take it upon myself to learn the language. And Tolkien barely wrote Black Speech so there isn't much of it known.  
**

**P.S. This is NOT based on the movie. This is my own take on a known even in the Tolkein Legendarium, but an event with very little knowledge (we know how it happened, we just don't know how). However, I might use descriptions and events from the movies.**

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_**The Expulsion of the Necromancer**_

**The Terror of Mirkwood**

_(77 Years Earlier)_

A gray clad wizard walked through the forests of Mirkwood. He used the wooden staff at his side to hike through the terrain. His worn, tattered, gray cloak dredged up leaves and dirt as it flowed behind him. As he traversed the forest, the gray wanderer came upon a river. The flowing water seemed to divide the forest in half. Lush woodland surrounded the river on either side.

Gandalf hid himself in the trees in time to see fourteen barrels floating down the river. Upon closer inspection, he saw that thirteen of these barrels each held a dwarf. The last one, though harder to see, held a hobbit. It brought a warm smile to the old wizard's face.

Knowing that the dwarves and Bilbo were on track and continuing their journey, Gandalf himself carried on in his travels through the woods.

The woodlands began to grow thicker and denser, a sign that no one had walked down this road for some time. The wizard raised his staff to the air. The dense forest life bowed away, as if in respect. The clearing wood formed a path for the wizard to more easily walk.

And walk Gandalf did. He set off for the heart of the forest of Mirkwood. His destination was the abandoned fortress of Dol Guldur.

* * *

The once magnificent fortress of Dol Guldur may have been reduced to a crumbling ruin, but it was far from abandoned. A powerful entity had come to inhabit the ancient fortress. It was nameless, either because no one spoke its name out of fear or because its name was long forgotten from ages past.

Whatever the reason for the unknown name, this entity was given a new title. It had become known as the Necromancer of Dol Guldur. A sorcerer believed to have the power to raise the dead. Some scoffed at this, as they knew such a feat was impossible, even by the five Istari. Others feared the name. They believed in the Necromancer's power, and stayed away from Dol Guldur.

The rumors instilled a sense of fear within the folk, and they decided to stay away from the old fortress. And that isolation is exactly what the Necromancer wanted. This being had plans. Plans that needed to be fulfilled, and it was best they be fulfilled away from prying eyes.

In the ruins of the fortress, thin wisps of black fog slithered out of the cracks in the decaying stone. Like serpents, the plumes slithered across the rock surface. Slowly, they lifted into the air. The wisps all converged in the air, forming a thick, swirling cloud of black fog. This was the shapeless form of the Necromancer of Dol Guldur. It wasn't a man, or any physical being for that matter. It was purely a spirit.

The large cloud drifted through the air. It floated to the crumbling lookout tower and scaled the stone wall to the top. It stayed there, hovering above the top of the fortress. In its shapeless form, the Necromancer still retained all of its senses. It gazed into the woods. Gifted with magical sight, the sorcerer could see for miles.

An intruder. He was fast approaching the front gate of the fortress. Even from this distance, the gaze of the Necromancer could not only see him, but they could see through him and gaze upon his intent; he was coming to Dol Guldur to confront the Necromancer. That could not happen. Nothing was ready. It was too soon. The only solution was to kill this intruder before he even got close.

The gathering cloud of black smoke bound of the top of the watchtower. It arced through the sky and dived downward into the fortress. Once back on the main floor of the decrepit ruin, the essence of the Necromancer began to swirl. The cloud spiraled outward as it became a whirlwind. The spirit's essence swallowed everything in the fortress, enshrouding it in darkness.

"Unglob!" The echo of a deep voice carried through the air. The voice of the Necromancer. "Unglob!" It called again.

"_I have use of you and your children, Terror of Mirkwood."_ The voice spoke again. This time, however, it spoke in the accursed Black Speech. No being of good would ever utter this language. Whatever this Necromancer was, good wasn't a part of it. _"We have uninvited guests. Do not let them reach the gate!"_

A large, furry, yellow, insect leg stuck out of a crevice in the breaking stone in response to the Necromancer's orders.

* * *

Gandalf looked around. All around him, the woods had begun to die slowly. The trees withered. The flowers stopped growing. The land was becoming more and more barren as Gandalf got closer and closer to Dol Guldur.

The wizard briefly stopped. He looked up to see the fortress some ways away. Even as a ruin, it was still a magnificent sight to behold. A citadel of stone, impervious to all. A watchtower than extended to the heavens. Dol Guldur's splendor was not affected by the decay of time. However, its magnificence was lessened by the feeling of dread that seemed to now fill the forest of Mirkwood.

Gandalf was pulled from his thoughts by rustling plants. Someone was coming. Be it friend or foe, he did not know. The wizard grabbed onto his staff with both hands, and readied himself for whatever might be coming.

Out of the bushes, a sled burst out. It was pulled by a team of rabbits. The animals came to a halt at the command of its driver. Its driver was a squat, dirty, little man with long wiry hair and beard of varying shades of brown, gray, and white. His clothes consisted of tattered old brown robes and cloaks as well as a brown hat with long ear flaps that stuck outward on either side. In his hands was a staff very similar to Gandalf's; it was a long knotted wooden rod.

"Radagast." Gandalf sighed to his fellow wizard as he dropped his staff back down to his side.

Radagast the brown, one of the five Istari from the same order as Gandalf, turned to his colleague. "I came as soon as I got your message Gandalf." The small old man was light on his feet as he looked around the dying woods. "The darkness is growing." He said prophetically. He then turned back to his sled. The rabbits perked up and stood still at his attention. "This is no place for you." He told the animals. "Head back home to Rhosgobel." The rabbits did as they were told and ran back to Radagast's forest home, carrying the sled behind them.

The brown wizard looked back to his gray companion. "I don't like this Gandalf." Radagast said softly. "This darkness. It's like nothing I've never felt before."

The taller wizard nodded. "I agree Radagast." He looked up and adjusted his pointed gray hat so that he could see the fortress in the distance. "I had been to Dol Guldur once before." Ganfalf said. "I found Thrain, son of Thror, father of Thorin, there. Even all those years ago, there was a darkness festering in the old citadel. Now, it seems only to have grown stronger."

Radagast nodded. "The birds have told me of Thorin's quest to reclaim his homeland from the dragon, as well as the role you played in the quest."

The gray wizard shook his head. Beneath the brim of his hat, Gandalf was smiling widely. "All I did was procure the services of a burglar, and give Thorin the map and key." He explained. His expression changed into a serious one. "And I convinced the White Council to attack Dol Guldur."

Radagast's large eyes widened. "How does that help the dwarf king?"

"We may be living in a time of peace Radagast, but it is a fragile peace. Trolls have come down from the mountains. Goblins swarm the Misty Mountains. There are still enemies of Middle-Earth. A dragon could be used to terrible effect. I wanted to make sure that this Necromancer could not recruit Smaug."

"But that is old news Gandalf." Radagast countered, focusing only on one point. "So long as darkness exists, the goblins have lived in the Misty Mountains. But, compared to the other orc breeds, the goblins are a relatively minor threat."

"It's more than that." Gandalf said. "The inhabitants of Goblin Town pursued us out of the Misty Mountains." He explained. "They seek revenge for the slaying of the Great Goblin, their master." He sighed grimly. "Usually I would agree with you. Goblins are mindless, stupider than the rest of the orcs. However, I have recently learned of an orc chieftain. He has met up with the goblins of Goblin Town. And now he leads them towards the ruins of Dale. I would have thought nothing of this, but this particular orc has more cause than most to hate dwarves, particularly the line of Durin."

"Orcs hate all free peoples Gandalf." Radagast stated. "What orc would hate dwarves more than most."

In response, Gandalf turned to his companion. "Bolg, son of Azog."

Radagast gasped. Both Bolg and Azog had infamous reputations among the free peoples of Middle-Earth.

Gandalf went on. "When Smaug forced the dwarves out of Erebor, they thought they could reclaim their mines of Moria." Gandalf recounted the tail. "They encountered heavy orc defenses led by Azog. During the battle, Thorin slew the orc. Ever since then, his son has hated the dwarven peoples, especially those with the blood of Durin flowing in their veins."

"Bolg is not our fight Gandalf." Radagast stated. "This is. We know nothing of the threat this necromancer poses." The wizard went on, but Gandalf wasn't listening. He had heard something. Flittering. The light flittering of feet running across the ground. They were not alone. Someone was there with them. The wizard's grip on his hand tightened.

They were being followed.

"Shh." Gandalf instructed Radagast. The brown wizard immediately went quiet and they walked in silence. Slowly, the woods became more and more barren. Gandalf kept his senses alert. The flittering was getting louder, more frantic. But every time he looked around to investigate, the sounds stopped. It only furthered his suspicions that they weren't alone.

"What was that?" Radagast asked. Gandalf heard it too. The steps had gone into the bushes, causing them to rustle.

They got their answer. Out of the dying bushes, a large spider jumped at them. The two wizards jumped back, narrowly missing the spider's attack.

It was truly a hideous beast. Three times the size of an elf, its head and legs were sickly shade of yell-green. Its large abdomen was red with a black pattern on it. It had eight furry, sickly yellow legs. The giant spider had six, bloodthirsty, beady black eyes. Its black mandibles were stained with dried blood. Behind the mandibles, were sharp fangs. Thick saliva dripped out of its hungry maw.

Around Gandalf and Radagast, several smaller (but still very large) spiders swarmed out of the woodlands and surrounded the two Istari. They were similar in shape and color to the larger one.

"Spiders!" Gandalf growled out as he readied his staff for a fight.

"This is not just any spider." Radagast said as he stepped forward, confronting the largest of the giant arachnids. "This is Unglob. But she is known by another name. The Terror of Mirkwood."

The massive creature snarled and snapped it's jaws at the two. With the wizards trapped, Unglob advanced on its prey.

Gandalf stepped in front of his companion pushed Radagast behind him. He raised his staff into the air. _"Galad!"_ He spoke in Quenya, one of the Elvish languages. Gandalf's staff responded by glowing white. A powerful burst of white light discharged from the staff. Like all creatures of darkness, the massive spiders hated light. They squealed and shrieked as if it was painful to be exposed to such light.

"Run!" Gandalf ordered as the beasts were distracted. Both wizards ran backwards into the woods. The spiders recovered and gave chase after them. This wasn't good. Gandalf realized they were being pushed away from Dol Guldur. The trees and plant life showed signs of life as they got away from the fortress.

In front of the fleeing wizards, Unglob dropped down in front them. The creature had used the trees to get in front of them. The sudden appearance of the beast brought the men to a skidding halt.

Gandalf reached to his side to draw Glamdring, his blade, but Unglob was faster. The spider swung one of its long legs at the wizard, knocking Gandalf back before he could attack.

"Gandalf!" Radagast gasped in surprised. Slowly, Unglob advanced toward him. The timid little wizard raised his staff in an attempt to defend himself. The gnarled wooden end of his staff began to glow green. When the spider charge, Radagast thrust his staff forward. His weapon released a beam of green energy that knocked the spider back.

The brown wizard turned around to flee, but he was surrounded by Unglob's spawn. One of the creatures reared up and lunged forward. Radagast held up his staff, blocking the spider's bite. The beast gnawed on the rod, trying to bite through to the wizard. The spider almost overpowered the wizard, but suddenly it stopped fighting. It let go of the staff and fell to its side. And Radagast saw why.

Gandalf pulled the long blade of his sword out of the spider's side. His hat had been knocked off his head. "Let us turn the tide." Gandalf spoke to Radagast. The brown wizard nodded.

More of the massive spiderlings ran at the two wizards. Gandalf cut them down with Glamdring as they came at him. Radagast was having more trouble. Not having a blade of his own, he had to rely on only his staff. Radagast struck the spider across the head with his staff, but the creature didn't let up. Gandalf hurled a fireball at the creature, setting it ablaze.

Behind them, Unglob recovered from the blast and got back to her feet. Radagast turned to see the massive spider coming at them again. He thrust his staff forward, pushing the spider back by an invisible force. Behind him, Gandalf was repelling the spiderlings. When they began to overrun them, he sent out another discharge of light to scare them back. In their shocked, scared state, Gandalf was able to slay them with little struggle.

Radagast kept Unglob repelled. When she tried to charge him again, he thrust his staff forward, pushing her back by an invisible wall. Radagast slowly advanced on the spider. However, he tripped over a rock, falling to the ground, and breaking his spell.

With the invisible wall gone, Unglob advanced upon her prey. The brown wizard stared in horror as the creature opened its drooling maw. Gandalf quickly took off his cloak and threw it on the spider. Unglob thrashed and flailed beneath the cloth as it tried to free itself. The gray wizard pulled Radagast out of the way. As the creature continued to thrash, Gandalf stabbed through his cloak and into the creature.

She hissed and shrieked in pain as she pulled herself off the sword and backed away. The ruined cloak got caught on branches, allowing Unglob to free herself of the impairing fabric. Gandalf was able to see the wound he had created. It went into her side. Damaging, but not fatal. One more strike ought to do it.

The spider snarled and attempted to charge at Gandalf. However, she never got the chance. Unglob was lifted off the ground, and levitated in mid-air. Gandalf looked back to see Radagast with his staff raised.

"End it." Radagast said.

Gandalf nodded and advanced on the thrashing creature. Gandalf lunged the blade forward, stabbing it between the eyes. Unglob squealed in pain and thrashed even more violently. Gandalf pushed the blade in deeper, all the way into the hilt. Gandalf held the blade lodged in the creature's head until it stopped thrashing. Once its life was gone, Gandalf removed his blade, blackened with spider blood.

Radagast released his spell, and the spider fell to the ground, dead.

Now only in his gray robes, Gandalf picked up his hat and put it back on his head. He used his destroyed cloak to clean the blade of Glamdring before he sheathed it.

Gandalf then turned to Radagast. "We're running out of time." He said urgently. "We must hurry to Dol Guldur."

Radagast nodded. The two wizards took off in a sprint.

The gray and brown wizards were headed to Dol Guldur.

* * *

**Just a couple of things, because I imagine some of you will have questions.**

**1. This is based on the book universe rather than the movie universe. That is the most important point I have to make. This event is only mentioned in Tolkein's works, and Peter Jackson is portraying it in the movie.**

**2. Because this follows the books rather than movies, Thorin and company aren't pursued by orcs. Goblins pursued them in the Misty Mountains because Gandalf killed the Great Goblin.**

**3. Azog is dead. During the battle to reclaim Moria, Thorin actually killed Azog. In **_**The Hobbit**_**, Azog's son Bolg meets up with the pursuing goblins and led them to Dale and led them in the battle of the five armies.**

**4. Despite setting my story in the book-verse, I am using some descriptions form the movie-verse, such as Radagast's appearance and his sled of rabbits. As well as the Necromancer appearing as a shapeless black fog.**

**5. Final note! _The Fellowship of the Ring_ begins on Bilbo's 111th birthday, 60 years after the events of _The Hobbit._ Frodo doesn't set out for Rivendell until 17 years after that. In the film, Frodo's trip to Rivendell happens in the same years as Bilbo's 111th birthday.**

**What do you think? How about you tell me in a review? I do enjoy your input and feedback.**


	3. 2 Before the Gate of Dol Guldur

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**The Hobbit**_**. It was written J.R.R. Tolkein and now belongs to his family and the Tolkein Estate.**

_**Italic text**_** denotes a character speaking in another language.**

**P.S. This is NOT based on the movie. This is my own take on a known even in the Tolkein Legendarium, but an event with very little knowledge (we know how it happened, we just don't know how). However, I might use descriptions and events from the movies.**

* * *

_**The Expulsion of the Necromancer**_

**Before the Gate of Dol Guldur**

From the watchtower of the elven fortress, the Necromancer gazed into the forest of Mirkwood. With supernatural sight, the shapeless fog could see far into the woodlands. And he saw it. Two wizard; one clothed in brown and the other in gray. They had felled the Terror. The Necromancer watched unable to do anything as Unglob was slain. Now, the two wizards were one their way to the fortress.

To worsen the matter, the protective enchantments that had been placed around the woods alerted the Necromancer to more intruders. Along with the two wizards, the being could sense three more intruders, all coming from different directions. Unglob might have been slain, but the Necromancer had many other defenses, none stronger than the front gate. Powerful enchantments had been placed upon it. The spells and protections made entry into the fortress impossible.

That only held back the intruders. That didn't stop them however. If Unglob failed, then stronger weapons were needed. And as it turned out, the Necromancer had such a weapon. It was stored away in the dungeons. Given the direness of the situation, it was time to use it.

The black fog began to separate into wisps that sunk into the cracks in the stone foundation of the tower. The wisps of smoke slithered between and through the rock toward the dungeons of the fortress.

* * *

Gandalf and Radagast had at last reached Dol Guldur. It was truly a bleak sight to behold. All around, the plant life had died off completely, leaving nothing but barren wasteland. Before them stood the magnificent crumbling remains of Dol Guldur. On top of a hill, even the ruins of the once great fortress were truly a sight to behold.

The entryway was made of a long bridge that led to the fortress's front gate; below the bridge was a void of fog that hid whatever it was that lay below. At the other end of the bridge stood Dol Guldur. The only part of the ruins that remained intact was the watchtower that stretched to the sky.

"We'll wait for the others here." Gandalf said as he looked up at the fortress. He sat down on a large rock.

"Who else is coming Gandalf?" Radagast asked as he looked around.

"Saruman." Gandalf listed them. "Lady Galadriel of Lorien. And Elrond or Rivendell."

"A great gathering of lords." The short wizard stroked his beard. "I too sent for help." The brown wizard stated. "This matter concerns Mirkwood. So I thought it best to notify the king of Mirkwood." He explained. "I sent a message to Thranduil, explaining our quest."

"And is Thranduil with us?"

"I do not know." Radagast sighed. "He has not yet responded to my message."

Gandalf nodded. He took another look at Dol Guldur. He could feel it. There was a darkness in Dol Guldur; as they sat there, Gandalf could feel the darkness growing. As every second passed, it got stronger and stronger.

"The hour grows late." A new voice said. Both wizards turned to see a man walking through the woods. He wore long, elegant white robes. He had an old face that was covered in snow white hair and a long white beard, with the remnants of a few black whiskers. He carried a staff like Gandalf and Radagast, only his staff wasn't a knotted, gnarled rod of wood. It was more elegant. Straight, and polished. A gem sat nobly in the head.

Both Gandalf and Radagast bowed to the newcomer.

"Saruman." Gandalf greeted.

The white wizard walked past Gandalf and Radagast to the foot of the bridge. He looked up at the decaying fortress.

"There is a strong darkness here." Saruman said grimly. "I have not felt a power like this in a long time."

"None of us have." Another new voice said. From the west, a beautiful elf maiden walked out. She was clad in a glittering gown of white and silver. Her pale face was framed by long golden hair.

"Lady Galadriel." Gandalf stood. "I'm glad you were able to arrive on such short notice."

"Given the direness of the matter, I thought it best we move quickly."

"Galadriel is right." Elrond of Rivendell said as he came out of the woods as well. The elf lord wore silver armor beneath a red cloak. At his side a long, two-handed sword was sheathed.

"Are we all here?" Saruman asked, looking between the members of the White Council.

"Not quite." Radagast stated. The attention of the entire Council turned to the brown wizard. He continued. "I had sent a message to Thrnaduil. I do not yet know if he is with us."

Saruman stepped to his fellow wizard. "This is not a matter that we can be patient with Radagast." He said firmly. "You can feel it like the rest of us. The longer we wait, the more powerful the darkness will grow."

"I agree with you Saruman." He defended. "But it would also be better if our numbers were greater."

"We are split then." Saruman declared. "The matter calls for a vote."

"No need." Thranduil said. He rode in on the back of a giant elk. He was clad in silver blue, with a sword at his side. Atop his head was his crown, made of twigs and leaves. Behind him was a unit of eight elven soldiers in two lines of four. Two held shields with swords at their sides. Two of them had long spears. The other four carried long bows and quivers of arrows on their backs.

Behind the elf king, a small red-breasted sparrow flew to Radagast. "You receive my message." He smiled, and lifted up his hat. The bird flew into the nest in his hair and nestled in it. Once he was safely tucked away, Radagast put his hat back on.

Thrnaduil nodded and dismounted the elf. He pet the noble creature and sent it back off into the woods. "Do forgive me." He said as he gestured to the guards. "As king of Mirkwood, I cannot travel out of my kingdom without bodyguards."

"You are forgiven Thranduil." Gandalf said. "You are a king after all." He glanced back at the fortress. "And the extra hands might be useful."

The elf king nodded before he looked up at the ancient citadel. "You know, Radagast, when I first received your message, I was skeptic." He admitted. "With you in Rhosgobel, and I in the Woodland Realms, it should have been impossible for darkness to fester here. And now that I am here, I can feel it growing."

Gandalf stepped in front of everyone. "Which is why we must act quickly and expel the evil from this place!"

He walked toward the fortress. When he tried to cross the threshold and walk onto the bridge, a transparent blue wall appeared out of thin air. Out of the wall a powerful bolt of lightning struck the gray wizard, sending him hurling through the air and crashing to the ground.

* * *

The dark essence of the Necromancer gathered in the dungeons of Dol Guldur. Aside from the watchtower, the dungeons were the only part of the fortress kept intact. The dungeon of Dol Guldur was a dark pit with very little light, save for a torch. It was here that the Necromancer held its most powerful weapon.

Before coming to Dol Guldur, the Necromancer was forced to roam Middle-Earth. The spirit powerlessly wandered the land, searching for a place to fester and grow. In its travels, the Necromancer came to the land of Azanulbizar just outside the entrance to the Dwarf realm of Moria. What the dark essence found shocked it. The land was littered with the remains of a battle. Decaying bodies littered the ground. It could be assumed they were orc bodies. Dwarves would never leave their kin lying around like that. The Necromancer collected some of these remains and brought them to Dol Guldur.

The black fog burst as if it exploded before it pulled together and reformed. It felt a tremor shake its bodiless essence. Someone had attempted to cross the threshold into Dol Guldur. The threat had just become very very real. And time was running out.

Now it was time to use his weapon. A thin tendril of smoke slid into an open cage and dragged out the skeletal remains of an orc. The Necromancer laid the skeleton on the floor. The black smoke surrounded the long dead remains. A large tendril made of black fog slithered into the skeleton's jaw and filled its body.

"_Azog." _The voice of the Necromancer called you, speaking in Black Speech. _"Azog! Wake up! I pull you know from the realm of death to serve me. I command you to awaken!"_

* * *

Radagast and Elrond helped Gandalf to his feet. His pointed hat had lay off somewhere forgotten.

"I'm alright." Gandalf lied, leaning on his staff. "I just didn't expect that."

Supporting himself on his staff, the gray pilgrim walked forward to the bridge. He picked up a stone off the ground and threw it at the bridge. The blue wall suddenly materialized and struck the stone.

"Powerful enchantments guard the fortress." Saruman said, looking at the magical wall.

"Someone does not want us entering the fortress." Galadriel contributed.

"We can sense his power growing." Thranduil said. "He must have already been strong to be able to put up such a spell."

Saruman stepped in front of the entryway. "The time for talk is past." He raised his staff. "Now we must get in and expel this evil from Mirkwood."

The gem in Saruman's staff began to glow white. The blue wall in front of them began to pulsate. The white wizard thrust his staff forward. The wall bowed backward, bending to the will of Saruman's magic. However, the wall suddenly straightened, and resisted the magic pushing Saruman back.

"This is no ordinary sorcerer." Elrond claimed while Saruman got to his feet. "To ward off even the power of an Istari."

"Then our foe is not human." Radagast stated prophetically.

Saruman refused to give up. He raised his staff again. The crystal glowed and the wall of magical energy began to bow again. This time, Gandalf walked up beside Saruman and raised his staff at well. Gandalf's own staff glowed teal and the wall bowed back even further, yet it still did not yield. Radagast walked up to Saruman's other side and raised his own gnarled staff. The brown wizard's staff glowed green. The blue wall only curved even further. Even under the might of three wizards, the enchantment wouldn't break.

Galdariel looked to Elrond. The two exchanged knowing glances. It was time that the elves revealed their own secret weapons. The lady of Lothlorien stepped forward first. He raised her hand. On her finger was the mithril crafted ring of adamant, Nenya, the water ring. One of the three rings of power crafted by the elves of Eregion. The adamant (diamond) embedded in the ring began to shimmer with light. A powerful jet of water shot from her ring and hit the wall.

Elrond raised his hand next. On his finger was the golden crafted ring of air, Vilya. The sapphire glowed and the lord of Imladris pushed his hand forward. A powerful gust of wind shot into the wall, contributing to the power of the four other blasts.

As he focuses his power into the wall, Gandalf looked at Elrond and then at Galadriel. They had both revealed their rings of power. Gandalf knew what had to be done. The elf lord of Mithlond, Círdan had given Gandalf the last ring of power. Gandalf lifted his free hand, and on his it was the elven ring of fire, Narya. The ring ruby lit up a bright orange, and a ribbon of fire was released into wall.

Under the weight of all six blasts, the magical wall began to crack, lightning shaped gaps began to form in the defense. Finally, it broke under the weight of the power being assaulted upon it. The wall shattered, releasing a shockwave of energy.

Everyone stared in silence. The threshold to Dol Guldur was now open. Without saying anything, Gandalf crossed the threshold and stepped onto the bridge. Everyone else—Saruman, Elrond, Radagast, Galadriel, Thranduil, and his eight guards—followed behind him, across the bridge and into the fortress.

Now the greatest battle was about to begin.

* * *

**What do you think? How about you tell me in a review? I do enjoy your input and feedback.**


	4. 3 Battle on the Bridge

**Sorry about the wait. No one was reviewing, like I had asked. So I thought I'd work on other stuff. Please review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**The Hobbit**_**. It was written J.R.R. Tolkein and now belongs to his family and the Tolkein Estate.**

_**Italic text**_** denotes a character speaking in another language.**

**P.S. This is NOT based on the movie. This is my own take on a known even in the Tolkein Legendarium, but an event with very little knowledge (we know how it happened, we just don't know how). However, I might use descriptions and events from the movies.**

* * *

_**The Expulsion of the Necromancer**_

**Battle on the Bridge**

Gandalf led the party into the ruins of Dol Guldur. The roof of the citadel had long since crumpled and faded away, leaving it open to the sky and the elements. At one point, it seemed, plant life had begun to grow around and in the stone fortress for there were dead trees and withering plants all around and even growing out cracked stone.

In the former great hall, the White Council gathered. Gandalf paced around the room, peeking into entryways, making sure they were alone.

"This use to be a place of great splendor." Thranduil recalled. He walked into the great hall, recalling memories of other visits he had made here. "I remember visiting these halls in my youth. To think that a darkness now occupies them is disgraceful." He spat. "It goes against everything it stood for." He said. "This was once a lookout. A watchtower so that to repel the forces of darkness."

"Something isn't right." Gandalf mumbled to himself. It was louder than he intended as it captured the attention of the entire party. "The air smells fouler than it did months ago the last time I was here." He kept pacing through the halls. "But that foul smell isn't of death. Only one died here, and that was Thrain." An idea stirred within Gadalf's mind. His hand shot to his side. He drew the two-handed blade, Glamdring from its sheath at his hip. His eyes widened at what he saw. It was the answer to foul stench that nose invaded his nose.

The blade of Glamdring was glowing a bright, shimmering, sapphire blue. That could only mean one thing.

"Orcs." Gandalf stated.

In an instant, Thranduil drew his single-handed blade and Elrond had pulled out his two-handed sword, Hadhafang. Thranduil's guards loaded their bows, lifted their spears, drew their swords, and lifted their shields.

"Fan out!" Gandalf ordered. "Cover all entrances!"

Everyone fanned out. And filled the former hall.

"Be prepared for anything." Gandalf warned.

The White Council prepared for the threat. Whatever form it took.

* * *

In the dungeons, the Necromancer listened to the intruders, their footsteps on the stone and their voices on the air. Time had officially run out. Now, it was time to fight. The shapeless being decided that while it hadn't had enough power to carry out its plans, it did have enough power to fight these intruders.

The black fog which usually flowed and swarmed everything with darkness gathered back into itself. The dark essence formed a spiraling black orb. Within, the Necromancer finally took shape. Physical form would be impossible in its present state, but its foes could at least form the illusion of a physical form.

The black smoke slowly changed into black robes and cloaks. They were torn, shredded, tattered, and worn. They looked like shreds of fabric rather than cloaks and robes. As they reached the ground, they slowly turned transparent before vanishing altogether. The image was more of a floating spirit rather than a sorcerer.

Slowly, the robes gained an ethereal and haunting green glow. In the pale green light, more of the Necromancer's appearance could be seen. Beneath the tattered fabric of its robes, a dull gray chest plate was visible. As its hand lifted, armored gauntlets of the same dull gray hue slithered out rather than hands. Over its head was a helmet. It was simple, dull gray, and hung low over its face. It curved upward into a sharp point. On either side of the helm were two spikes that curved upward and around the top of it. It looked like a crown had melded onto a helm. Beneath the helmet, the Necromancer had no face. Only shadow was visible. Along with the shadows, two glowing orbs of lightning blue were visible as the Necromancer's eyes.

"_Let us begin."_ The phantasm ordered into shadows, still communicating in that accursed Black Speech.

* * *

It had been close to twenty minutes now, and still no attack had come. Gandalf continued to stare at his glowing sword.

"Every minute we stand here waiting for an attack," Galadriel said, "is another minute wasted. We must take offensive."

Gandalf nodded at the lady of Lorien's words. "We'll need some form of strategy."

The conversation was interrupted when one of Thranduil's guards armed their bow and released an arrow. The projectile whizzed through the air and hit its mark between a crack in the rocks. From behind the rocks, the party heard a squeal and what sounded like a howl. On top of the ruins, a wolf jumped up. It wasn't an ordinary wolf though. It was much larger than an ordinary wolf; its upper body wad large and muscular. Its maw was dripping with drool. Its claws were long and black. Its eyes were bloodthirsty and glowing red. This beast was joined by eight more from all sides.

"Warg pack!" Elrond shouted. The party backed up away from the monstrous wolves. The beasts snarled and snapped at the intruders. The wargs lunged forward, advancing quickly on the party. Radagast ran in front of the White Council. He thrust his staff forward. Suddenly, a dome surrounded the party. As the beasts jumped up, they collided with the dome, being knocked back forcibly. The tiny little wizard was pushed back slightly, but he quickly regained his form and reinforced the spell.

Thranduil's four archers loaded their bows and released their arrows into one of the beasts. The creature howled as arrow pierced its demonic flesh. It took the fourth arrow to finally fell the beast. Saruman walked up beside Radagast. The white wizard thrust his hand forward. A brilliant, blue bolt of lightning flashed out of his hand and struck one of the wargs, killing the beast easily.

The remaining seven wargs charged at the party again. Radagast's shield repelled the beasts, but their attack was angrier this time. They struck at the dome. It couldn't hold up at the onslaught, and the shield shattered.

In the confusion that ensued, Galadriel used her own magic and summoned a stream of water; it struck one of the monsters and pushed it over the edge of the hill to its demise. Thranduils archers manages to fell two more of the wargs. His swordsmen worked together and took out another. Only three remained.

Gandalf raised his staff. Within the notches of the wood, embers began to glow. He swung his staff in a long sweep, and a trail of fire flowed out and formed a blazing wall between the White Council and the wargs. Howls of pain were heard, and the party could see the shadow of two wargs being engulfed by fire.

The battle wasn't over yet. The last of the wargs jumped above the flames and landed in front of the party. Immediately, it bolted at Radagast. The brown wizard held up his staff in an attempt to defend himself. Elrond, however, moved even faster. He ran up to the beast's side and impaled the monster with his blade. The warg slowed down before coming to an eventual halt. The lord of Rivendell pulled his sword out when the creature had at last perished.

"Wargs serve darker powers." Galadriel stated.

Gandalf nodded. He waved his staff through the flames, and the rod absorbed the fire. "I think it best to split up." He said.

"We do not yet know the power of this necromancer." Radagast countered. "If we split up, he may very well overpower us."

"But Dol Guldur is expansive." Elrond input. "If we were to travel together, our foe would surely slip through our grasps."

"Elrond is right." Saruman stated. "If we are to have any success, it would require us splitting up. All that remains is how to do it."

Gandalf looked to Thranduil. "Is there any other way out of the fortress?"

The elf king shook his elegant head. "No. Dol Guldur wasn't built as a fortress. It was built as a watchtower. The elves who built it foresaw no need for escape. The causeway is the only exit."

The grey wizard nodded. "You and your guards should guard it then." He recommended. "Should we fail, you will be the last defense against the evil that festers here."

At Thranduil's nod, Gandalf went on. He turned to face a one of the entrances. Inside the doorway, the room was swallowed with darkness. "I will handle the dungeon." Before he advanced into the corridor, he turned back. "Saruman, Radagast, I think you two should guard this hall." The two wizards nodded in agreement.

"I shall investigate the watchtower." Galadriel said as she ascended the staircase to the top of the tower.

Elrond lifted Hahafang, his blade, and gripped it firmly with both hands. "That leaves me with the lower levels."

Everyone nodded in agreement. "If anything should happen," the gray wizard said, "try to regroup here."

"Wait." Radagast said. Everyone stopped to look at the brown wizard. "This splitting up, it could be a tactic to weaken us. What if it's a trap?"

Gandalf was silent for a long time. "We must go on." He turned to look at Glamdring, which was still glowing bright blue. "It is undoubtedly a trap."

* * *

Thranduil paced across the front entrance. Every so often, he gazed across to the other end of the bridge and into the forest. What was worse than something happening was waiting for something to happen. In his hand, the elf king gripped his sword tightly. He had has guards stationed at the gate. Four on the inside. Four on the outside.

Suddenly, the land began to darken. Thranduil looked up into the sky. Thick gray clouds covered the autumn sun. The light now shining on the earth was now dulled and gray. It brought a frown to the elf king's face as an autumn chill blew through the air on a gentle breeze.

"Your majesty!" One of the archers shouted. "Look!"

He was pointing to the other side of the bridge. The elf king's eyes followed to see what he was talking about. A figure cloaked in black hobbled out of the woods. He was small and hunched over, leaning on a tall wooden staff. A hood was drawn low over his face, hiding it.

The elf king walked forward. He raised his sword to the stranger. "State your business here." He commanded.

Rather than speaking, the hooded figure walked forward on the bridge. Thranduil took another step forward. "Leave this place." He warned. "It's not safe."

The man leaned on his staff as he walked onto the bridge. He hobbled to the edge and leaned over, looking down into the foggy depths. Disregarding the elf king's command, the man spoke in the Sindarin form of Evlish.

"_A great battle was fought here once."_ He said. _"There is a power here. Not light nor dark. Yet, it could serve either one."_

"Who are you?" Thranduil asked. The figure remained still. "Show yourself." He commanded again.

The cloaked figure instead raised his hands into the sky. Below them, the fog cleared away as if a gust had blown through. For the first time in centuries, the land beneath the fog was visible. It was barren. Nothing had grown for centuries. But more than that, the land was littered with bones and remains of both elves and orcs.

The figure looked to the elf king and spoke again in Sindarin. _"Behold the remains of the many battles fought on this land."_

Suddenly, the elf king felt it. An intense dark energy emanating from the figure. Quickly, Thranduil grabbed an arrow and bow from one of his subordinates, aimed it, and fired at the figure. The arrow broke through the staff, splitting it in half, and pierced the man in the chest. The wooden rod fell out of his hand as the figure lurched back. The elven king of Mirkwood watched the figure as he returned the bow to his guard. His silver-blue eyes bore at the mysterious stranger.

From out of the man's robes, armored gauntlets slid out rather than hands. They reached up and grabbed onto the hood. Slowly, he pulled the hood back. In that instant, the figure's black figure was surrounded by an eerie glowing green light. An invisible wind caused the figure's cloaks and robes to levitate. Beneath the hood, there was a dull helmet that hid his face. Two glowing eyes bore out from the shadows of the helmet.

"We're under attack!" The elf king declared. His eight guards formed up behind him as he raised his sword.

The Necromancer raised his hands again. On the ground below, the bones and remains melted and dissolved into black smoke that levitated into the air, forming a thick black cloud above the bridge. The Necromancer also dissolved into smoke that floated upward into the cloud. Thranduil watched, sword raised, waiting for anything to happen.

From out of the black cloud, pillars of smoke shot down and onto the bridge. From out of one of these plumes, a pale figure stepped out. He was as tall as the elf king and much broader and muscular. It was obviously an orc. He wore no armor save for the black tasset around his legs and block boots. His skin was pale, stark white. In one of his large hands, he carried a massive mace. In the other hand, was a dull scimitar.

"Azog!" Thranduil growled out lowly as he stared at the orc. The pale orc had a fearsome reputation among elves and dwarves alike.

From behind Azog, several smaller, more armored orcs slithered out of the plumes of fog, forming at least two battalions. When the orcs stood in rank, the pillars of fog shot back upward into their cloud source.

The pale orc pointed his mace to the nine elves. "Attack!" He shouted out. The horde of orcs charged at the elves. Thranduil ran forward to fight the defiler. From behind him, the four archers unleashed a torrent of arrows, felling many of the orc grunts. The remaining four guards ran ahead of their king and began slicing through the creatures with their swords and spears. They did their best not to be overwhelmed by the vicious creatures.

The elf slid out of the way, dodging a blow from Azog's mace. The orc captain then swung his scimitar wildly, only for the elf king to block each blow. The pale orc spun his body around, swinging the mace as he did so. Thranduil ducked under the massive weapon. When he swung his silver blade to slice through the orc, only to be met by the black blade.

Thranduil's bodyguards continued to effectively dispatch Azog's rabble; slaying the beasts and pushing them off the bridge. The eight elite elves made quick work of the attack force, leaving only their cheiftan.

Thranduil was knocked back by a powerful kick from the orc's massive foot. His guards were there to catch him and set him back on his feet. One of his guards got in front of him. He raised his sword challenge the large orc.

"No!" Thranduil tried to stop him. But it was too late. The orc swung his mace, hurling the elf off the bridge and into the depths below.

The elf king grabbed a spear from one his guards. He thrust it forward into the orc's shoulder. Azog howled out in pain. In his distraction, Thranduil picked up his fallen guard's shield and wielded it in tandem with his sword. His guard came forward and removed his spear from the orc, causing him to howl again. In a combination of pain and anger, Azong wildly spun his mace around. The elf kind dodged and weaved past it as he tried to get an opening in on the orc.

Azog swung his mace down, but Thranduil jumped out of the way, causing the orc to hit the stone of the bridge. And there was the opening. Using his natural elven speed, Thranduil sliced through his arm. Azog howled and shrieked as black blood burst from his arm. The orc jumped back as he screeched.

The king of Mirkwood moved to make the killing blow, but Azog had recovered. He used his remaining arm, with the scimitar in it, to block the blow from the sword. The orc chief swung his blade in a long sweep. Thranduil was forced to fall to his knees to dodge the blow. From there, the elf king saw another opening and took it. He lunged the sword forward, stabbing it through the pale orc's stomach.

Azog let out a loud guttural howl as Thranduil removed his sword, stained with orc blood. Thranduil landed another blow, this time through the orc's neck, taking his head off.

The headless body toppled over the bridge. As the fresh corpse plummeted, the body dissolved away, leaving nothing but bones behind. From above them, thunder crashed in the black cloud. The robed, glowing vision of the Necromancer appeared before them again. The cloud slowly formed a vortex that spun downward and surrounded him. The vortex continued to spiral downward to the land below. The cloud of black fog was filled with bones and remains.

"Take cover!" Thranduil shouted. Quickly, he and his guard turned around and ran back for the decaying entryway. The fog burst forward, shooting across the bridge. Three of the elves straggled behind and were swallowed by the fog. The high speed of the bones in the fog shredded them to pieces.

Thranduil got into the entryway and got behind the stone arch. Two of his guards got in and managed to duck behind stones. The last remaining elves became victims of the Necromancer, swallowed and shredded by the fog. The black cloud hit the stone, bouncing off of it, leaving Thranduil and his guards unharmed.

"Get the gate closed!" Thranduil shouted over the howl of the wind and fog. His last two guards nodded. Staying low to the ground, the evles crawled to the front gate. Working with their king, they pushed the front gate closed. It was a struggle, pushing against the strength of the fog. However, they prevailed and shut the gate, stopping the fog.

Sighing, Thranduil lowered his blade. Whatever that thing was, it had the power to summon the dead and whatever that fog was.

The exhausted elf king looked back at his last remaining guards. "We need to get back and tell the others what just happened."

His last two remaining guards, a spear wielder and archer, nodded. Thranduil stepped out in front of them, sword and newly acquired shield at his side. He led them back to the great hall. However, the door in front of them closed before they could get through.

Thranduil quickly looked around. Large spiders crawled over the ruined walls. With a look of determination of his face, Thranduil raised his sword and shield. Behind him, his soldiers did as well. It seemed they were in for another battle.

With his men behind him, they charged at the spiders.

* * *

**What do you think? How about you tell me in a review? I do enjoy your input and feedback. Please. Please review. I'm sounding desperate now. I want your feedback.**


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